Sleep softly My murder
by Cat 2
Summary: A killer from the past is back. this is my first attempt at a DM fanfic, so please R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living person is unintentional

Sleep softly My Murder

Chapter 1 "He's Back."

"You've got to stop these late nights." Katherine muttered, leaning back in her chair and staring at the screen. The report was for New York and wasn't due till Wednesday. On the other hand she was due in court tomorrow, to testify in a rape and murder case. How she ended up as the first call when there was a rape case, she wasn't quite sure, but she had a good record for getting convictions in rapes.

"The life of a workaholic doesn't suit you."

She hit the send button and began to shut down the computer as the phone rang.

"Gere" she said with a sigh.

"The boy friend found her when he got in-"

"Any sign of rape?"

"No. just like all the others."

"You are aware that the chances are in favour of it been a copycat, if it's a killing with sexual motive and you know better than I do what the chances of that are."

"Not his time." Cheryl voice was full of the confidence that had made Katherine so certain that she'd do well all those years ago. But she was still cautious.

"You said the boyfriend found her, any chance he done it?"

"Uhuh. Got an alibi. At work till ten minutes ago and got a lift back with a friend."

"Interesting."

"Routine, apparently."

"Any sign of forced entry."

"None. Look, give me and Steve some credit."  
"I do. I …I just want to be sure."

They reached the bedroom.

"They ID the quote yet?"

"Not yet. No sign of what's meant to have killed her either, but the Corner said that she was strangled."

"So the quote may not be Shakespeare, which would mean it wasn't our boy."

Cheryl smiled as she pushed open the door.

"I'm sure you remember Steve Sloan."

The sandy haired man in his late twenties got up from where he'd been kneeling by the body, talking to a young black woman wearing the blue jumpsuit of the medical examiners office.

"Katherine Gere, no relation to the actor." Katherine said holding out her hands.

"Amanda Bentley." The woman said, holding out her hand, then noticing the gloves and withdrawing it.

"The body found here?" she asked wandering over to dressing table.

"Yeah."

"She faints. My lady.

She is dead." She read off the folded sheet by the bed. "King Lear."

She wandered back over to the bed, her stomach churning with terror.

"This hers?" She asked, lifting a ribbon left across the chest.

"Not as far as we can tell."

Katherine nodded, holding the ribbon up to the light.

The gold embroidery caught the light, spelling out the words ELIZABETH ROBERTS.

The fear drying out her throat like a desert, she turns to faced Steve, Cheryl and Amanda.

"You were right Cheryl. He is back."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional

Chapter 2 The Bard

The living room was a mess. Files were flung all over the coffee table. Three cups of old coffee added to the mess. Steve sat on the sofa. Cheryl sat opposite on another settee. Katherine paced across the room reading form a file.

"First Victim, Grace Froi, 22 years old. Found 23rd July 1991, by her boyfriend, who was also prime suspect. He wanted a kid, she wasn't interested. Pills found in her drawer. Those first on the scene thought she'd been smothered, but P.M. showed strangulation by condom. Quote I.D. from Othello. Second victim week later. Jenny" she consulted the file again, "Manhattan, 21. Strangled then stabbed 22 times after death. Quote form Romeo and Juliet. Third again 2 weeks later. Diana Forth-Stains, 34. Death initially thought to be natural causes, she'd suffered from a weak heart, but husband insisted on an autopsy. True cause of death strangulation. Quote came from Midsummer's night dream-"

"Interesting choice." Steve said.

"Yeah." Katherine sighed.

She might have said more, but a voice interrupted her.

"STEVE!"

"Down here Dad." Steve said getting to his feet. A tall gentleman with white hair and electric blue eyes entered.

"Steve. I …oh!"

"Katherine Gere. No relation to the actor." Katherine held out her hand. "I'm a lieutenant in Rape."

"It's nice to meet you, lieutenant. I'm Doctor Mark Sloan, Steve's father."

"No relation to John Sloan?"

"My father. If you mean John Sloan in police, though I'd have thought that he was before your time."

Katherine laughed. "I started life in homicide. Back then you put your rookies with the most experience guy. That was John Halliday. He remembered John Sloan. Thought there was something odd about. Turned out he was right"

"Small guy, black curls?"

"Grey by the time I knew him." Katherine said with a laugh "very distinguished. But they say daughters will do that to you." She turned her attention back to the file. "Fourth was Jean Hitch, 19. Found in the river. Quote was from Hamlet. There were flowers all round her."

Noticing the confusion on Dr Sloan's face she added. "I wonder if you remember the Bard killings? Summer 1991."

"Well, I remember Steve not shutting up about them. Was his first big case."

"Mine too." Katherine said smiling. "A criticism of the case from the press, too many young pups eager to make a name for themselves. What they over looked was that had we wanted to make a name, we'd have caught the guy. "She shook her head. "The real reason was there were rumours that a cop or someone connected with the police was involved." She gave a rye smile. "Young calves don't fear the tiger as the Chinese say."

She grabbed another box.

"Here copies of all the quotes. All Shakespeare. The originals are in the lab as we speak. Seeing if we missed something first time round."

"You know it's interesting," Dr Sloan was gazing at the files. "The first 4 have John Halliday's signature on them, but the last one was signed by you."  
Katherine gave a smile with no humour in it.

"You have good eyes doctor Sloan." She said in a voice to match her expression. "It's really quite simple. I took over the investigation when John Halliday left due to ill health." she began clearing up the files.

"I'll see you at the station."

She left.

Cheryl glanced at the door.

"Poor Kat." She said calmly. Noticing the confusion on Doctor Sloan's face she added. "Katherine worshipped John Halliday. He recommended her for the force and trained her up. She's always blamed the bard killings for what happened." She also got to her feet. "John Halliday was admitted to the psychological ward at Community General as a voluntary patient, two weeks after Jean Hitch's body was found. He died there.

"I'll see you later Steve." She left.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional

Author's note. Fans of Agatha Christie may have recognised/ noticed similarity between my story and one of her own. I used it as basis for my story, so apologises if I break any copyright rules.

Chapter 3 John Halliday's Delusion

The woman who sat in Dr Sloan's office had given her name to Deloris as Caroline Gwenda Scarlet. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was about 20. There seemed to nothing to be upsetting her, but she kept twisting and untwisting her handkerchief. Jesse Travis had said that she was married to a cousin of his.

As the two doctors entered she launched into a pre-prepared speech.

"Dr Sloan I apologise coming here under false pretences. I'm not ill, but…I looking for information about my father.

"I married a few weeks ago and we came back here." She got to her feet and wandered over to the window.

"I love it here," she muttered. "We moved here when I was ten after my mother died. The sun always seemed to be shining. I was doing well at school; I had lots of friend and then suddenly all that changed. I was sent with little explanation to live with my aunt and uncle in Chicago. They told me first than my father was ill and that later he died." She lent forward. "Doctor Sloan I'm a great believer in to move on in your life you have to get over your past. I found out that my father was patient here in summer of 1991 and that he died here, but more than that my aunt didn't know. I tried talking to his old partner, but she wasn't very helpful. I need to know and Jesse," she indicated with her hands. "Said that you'd be the person to talk to."

"Well…O.K. what was your father's name?"

Mark lent forward.

"John." Caroline answered calmly. "John Halliday."

Shock registered on Mark's face.

"Would you excuse me for a moment?" he said.

Katherine stood uncomfortably in the doorway.

"Hello Wendy," she said, gazing at the young woman. "Long time, no see."

"What are you doing here?"

"Doctor Sloan invited me. I'm really sorry Wendy; I never meant to hurt you, quite the opposite in fact." She moved slowly over to the chair next to Caroline.

"You were just a little kid. It seemed better to let the dead bury the dead and all that Jazz."

"I'm not a child!" Caroline had got to her feet. It seemed that they had both forgotten the presence of Mark and Jesse.

"I know." Katherine said. "And I know I should have told your aunt, but she seemed so against your father already that I didn't want to give her any more reason."

"What" Caroline repeated seeming on the verge of tears as she spoke slowly. "Was wrong with my father?"

Katherine circled the desk, "you're just as stubborn as you were as a child. Just like your father" she said quietly "won't stop till you get answers, one of the reasons he was such a good cop." She forced herself to face Caroline. "I didn't want to tell you this Wendy, but your father committed suicide, in the mental ward here.

"He was never committed you understand he was a voluntary patient!"

"Was it" Caroline asked, "to with my mother?"

"No!" Katherine answered, rushing over to the chair, "no! He loved your mother and you. He was devastated by her death, but it was nothing like that."

"Then why?"  
Katherine signed. "John was suffering from a delusion. He was convinced, with no cause I might add, that he had killed his second wife, Helena."

"Helen?!"

"Yes," Katherine answered gazing at Caroline strangely. "Your stepmother, Helena Kennedy."

"Wendy what's wrong?" she asked as Caroline face blanched and she sunk into the chair.

"No. no" she muttered, causing Mark and Jesse to run over. "It wasn't dream."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional

Chapter 4 The Dream

"It's been the same dream every night for nearly a month."

Caroline took the glass of water willingly from Katherine and slipped gratefully.

"I'm in the house, our old house. It's dark, I'm on the stairs, looking though the banister, and she's there. She's dead. Sprawled out dead, her hair's golden and her face is blue. She was dead, strangled. She put the glass down, her hands shaking. She was struggling not to cry. "Someone's there. He's just a shadow, as big as a bear. And his hands… they're grey and wrinkled, not hands, monkey's paws… it's horrible and he's saying 'here's rosemary for remembrance.' And she's lying there dead."

"Who?" mark asked gently leaning forward.

The answer was quick and automatic.  
"Helena."

Katherine went white and for a moment mark thought she'd faint.

"Oh god," she muttered. "He was telling the truth."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional

Chapter 5 Helena Halliday

Ten years ago

"Well I don't care he's got another hour." Cheryl stretched and glanced at the phone.

"Quit moaning Cheryl" Katherine poured another cup of coffee. "If the call doesn't come that means that no one's died, which is a good thing, right?"

"Yeah" Steve took the cup from Katherine. "But they didn't find Jean Hitch till the next day."

"Which is why" Cheryl said, moving around the desk, "I don't see why we have stay here."

"orders." Katherine said, drinking her coffee.

"So why isn't Halliday here?"  
" he's right behind you."

Cheryl spun around. John Halliday stood there looking pale.

"Lieutenant." Captain John Halliday stood calmly facing Katherine Gere.

"I think you'd better arrest me."

"Sir?" Katherine face was confused.

"I have killed my wife."

The present

"Helena was your stepmother. They married when you were 10; I'm surprised you don't remember her,"

"She put a ribbon on the cat" Caroline said, suddenly and sounding surprised.

Katherine nodded eagerly. "Yes that's right. Thomas. It was his birthday and you insisted that he had to wear something special. Took it off a chocolate box. He almost starched you. Then Helena took it and you held him while she tied it. Right mad about it he was. Ran off into the garden and when he came back the ribbon was gone. A pity, it was a nice ribbon." She shook her head. She breathed in gathering her courage. "John had been peculiar for some time. To be honest, everyone, including me, thought that there were" she wandered over to the window. "Problems between him and Helena. But I confess I to quote Stevenson "that II let my brother go to the devil in his own way.' And he didn't say much. Hen the bard killings started and we were also so distracted that no one really noticed anything. Not that was until about a fortnight after Jean Hitch, the fourth victim. The murders had fallen into a pattern, one every fortnight. Command thought that if we stayed, we might get lucky and catch him in the act. It was 11 pm when he walked in to the station and asked me to arrest him, because he'd" her voice sunk to a whisper "killed his wife." She glanced desperately at Caroline, but she sat like a statue. "William, he was a just a detective then, he's a lieutenant now, he took your father to interview room 2. And we went to the house." She glanced at Caroline again, but receiving no response fell silent

"And what did you find?" Mark asked Caroline jumped. She had forgotten Mark and Jesse were there.

"Nothing. No dead women sprawled across the bed. Just an eleven year old asleep. A note in the waste paper basket." She gazed though the blinds as she quoted. "Goodbye. I am sorry; I hope you can forgive me. I never meant for this to happen, but I must go to the man I love.' Very traditional. A suitcase and some clothes were missing. As far as command was concern it was cut and dry. John had come home, seen the note and had some form of brainstorm." She sighed gently. "The brain would rather believe an unpleasant fiction than a horrifying truth. That was their attitude."

"Well I'm sorry but I think its worst to think that you've killed your wife rather than she's left you."

"Command thought that the murder was symbolic, that he felt he's killed her love or similar." She shook her head.

"And what do you think?" Mark asked.

Katherine turned to face mark. "I've heard a lot of confessions in my time." She said slowly. "John used to say that ultimately you had to go on gut instincts. John Halliday genuinely believed he killed his wife, and my gut tells me she never left the house alive."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which with out giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

_Italics are thoughts_

Chapter 6 Looking for the truth

"Take off your sock!" the voice was quiet, but it seemed to echo around the room. Katherine gazed straight ahead, trying to ignore it.

Her eyes rested on the smooth man, sitting behind the defence table. He looked nervous.

_Yeah you better be nervous you bd she thought. She was imprisoned and grieving and you abused her and her parent's trust. I can't prove it, but anyone who worked on her brother death knows you drove him to it._

Her eye moved in the direction of a stifled sob. Jani Kimberly mother was fighting back the tears as the tape progressed. Katherine had only limited sympathy. The woman had panicked after her son's death, after her daughter had got drunk and instead of trying to find out what was going on had handed her over to the people who had killed her son. She had more in common with the grey haired woman sitting next to her, hers eyes never moving, her hand gripped in her granddaughter's. She remembered how when she had come with her granddaughter after the tape had been found; she had watched it with out speaking. Then she had asked what he was likely to get.

"Life maximum." She replied. The small woman had nodded sagely, then informed her, that no matter what they gave him, she intended to track him down, and then castrate him. Katherine had laughed and told her that while she'd have to arrest her for that, she agreed with her.

"Lieutenant Gere." The prosecutor, a tall dark woman yanked her back to the present. "When was this tape taken?"

"It came into my processions two months ago. It was filmed on 2nd March of this year as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of professional misconduct at "Come Clean"."

"So the tape was not taken by your department?"

"No. it was given to me by Lieutenant Green of the drugs department. When he heard that I was investigating an allegation of sexual abuse at the Come Clean, he offered to let me take a look at the tape. Given what was on it he had no problems turning it over to my department."

"So this is not an isolated incident?"

"No, there are nearly 2000 similar incidents, 5 of them involving Miss Kimberly between March and June of this year. There are also nearly 10,000 incidents of general abuse."

"Objection." The defence lawyer, a weasel faced man, had ridden to his feet, "this is the subject of another court case, so can not be dealt with here."

The judge nodded.

"Have any of the other victims been identified?" the prosecutor continued.

"Yes, we have identified nearly 90 of those on the tape."

"Then" the prosecutor said, moving towards her table. "Why aren't they here?"

"A variety of reasons. Some were ashamed of what happen or felt guilty. Several had unfortunately passed away, so were unable to testify." After the brief titter of laughter from the jury she continued. "Most though were reluctant, because this was a part of the lowest period of their lives. They are now in gainful employment, in relationships, many with no ideas of their past. They were reluctant, to become involved in a case likely to attract a great of publicity. With all due respect," she said turning to the jury, "rape is always difficult to prosecute as it exposes the victim to the eyes of a society that is still inclined to blame the victim for what happened. We all know," she said, looking into Jani Kimberly brown eyes, "that's just not true."

Katherine stood by the water cooler, letting the ice cold water run into her cup.

The defence had asked for an adjournment to allow their client to testify at a professional misconduct meeting. Katherine knew that Lieutenant Green had a daughter the same age of Jani Kimberly.

"Give him hell Green," she muttered.

"How it's going?"

"Steve." Katherine said, lifting her water. "You know I can't talk about the case. What about you? You got a case?"

"Ah no. just an errand for my dad."

Katherine smiled. "He seems nice. So how can I help you? "

"The tape of John Halliday interview."

Katherine's face darken, "think you're in the wrong place."

"I think not. Archives said you had it."

"Maybe."

"My dad wants to have a look at it."

"Why?" Katherine demanded.

"He wants to find out what happened to Helen Kennedy."

Katherine snorted. "I've been trying to do that for 10 years." She said, beginning to drink from her cup.

"He doesn't think that Halliday killed her, but he agrees with you, that's she dead."

Katherine paused, chewing her lip. "Wait here" she said, moving towards the lawyers.


	7. Chapter 7 Habeas Corpus

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which with out giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

Chapter 7 Habeas corpus

The voce on the tape went though all the form for an interview under caution. Another voice female, begged the interviewee to get a lawyer. He refused and waved his rights without any real emotion. He then stated that his name was John Tomas Halliday, and that he wished to confess the murder of his wife, Helena Halliday, Nee Kennedy.

"I had been suspicious of Helena for a long time. Things had been different between us, and I suspect there was someone else.

"I always knew there was someone else, someone she loved but couldn't marry. And I was there, missing Elizabeth and Hurting so much. She made me forget the pain for a while."

Katherine hands were digging into the settee, and her face was contorted. She didn't seem aware of the others; she seemed only to hear her old commander's voice.

"I suspected that she was giving me drugs. I had dreams, dreams that no natural agent could cause. But she denied and Kennedy said there were no drugs in my system. These dreams…they all ended the same. With her dead. strangled. Katherine told me I was taking my work home with me, and after what we were seeing what I expected but to see this monster threatening my family…my family." He lapsed in to silence and it was a while before the interviewer seemed to dare ask the question.

"Please tell us, in your own words, what happened when you came home this evening?"

"Her note was on the desk. I can't remember what it said, or what I did with it. I know I took though to the study when I went to pour myself a drink. A whisky. I had only intended to stay a few minutes. We were awaiting the next victim. I look at the clock, and it was 9. Then…" his breathing became heavier. "I don't remember anything till later. I'm upstairs. I look at the clock and it's nearly 11. I thought I'd just fallen asleep, but then I see her. She's lying on the bed. She's dead. Strangled."  
The next question was tepid. "How do you know you killed her?"  
"Because she's dead. The house was in darkness. There was no one else there."

A sound like a door opening interrupted them, and the tape fell silent.

"That" Katherine said, more to herself than to any one else, "was when we returned from the house." she got to her feet. "We searched that house from top to bottom. Upstairs, downstairs and in my lady's chamber. Even got two terrorised rookies to search the cellar. Nothing. No bodies. Halliday had just had a brain storm."  
"You don't believe that." Steve stated.

"I don't like the alternative!" Katherine snapped.

"Well you know there are some questions," Mark interrupted before things could get out of hand.

"Like?" Katherine demanded.

"Well Halliday says he found his wife's body in the bedroom, but Caroline says it was in the hall."

Katherine snorted. "Witnesses disagree about events that happened 10 minutes ago doc, you've no chance of getting them to agree about events of 10 years ago."

"Who this doctor Kennedy that he mentioned?" Jesse asked.

"Doc for the station. Dealt with minor injuries, examined rape victims, called death on murders, you know the drill. Helena was his sister."

"Is that how they met?" Amanda asked.

Katherine shook her head. "No. more story book than that. His first case after he moved here was a simple vandalism. Someone had cut the tennis nets at his house. Met a beautiful girl there. Took the particulars and asked her out."

She got to her feet and wandered over to the window.

"It was never a love match," she continued. "He had a daughter who he wanted to have a mother, and she was miserable at home and wanted out."

"Why?"

"I don't know. We weren't that close to be honest. But I got the impression, and I don't know for certain, that her brother was a bit of an ogre. That he made life hard for her."

"Anyone else in the house."

"An au-par girl, from Switzerland I think. But she was the cinema that night. I think, though I can't be sure that there was someone who came in to help with the cleaning, but she wasn't there. Command didn't let us do much beside look around the house."  
"What about the garden?" Amanda asked. "Was there one?"  
"Yeah. A real beauty. "  
"Did you look there?"  
"It was after midnight! We shone a touch around, but no signs of digging, more than was to be expected."

"Expected?" Mark demanded.  
"Yeah. They were having some new steps put in, I think. The workmen had been digging all day…" she trailed off and at the expression on their faces, turned to Mark.

"Mind if I use your phone?"

She stood by the lounge window, watching them dig. Caroline sat on the sofa, with her husband Gary.

Seemed straight enough. Halliday would have approved.

Jesse and Mark sat on the other.

"Do you," Caroline voice cracked with fear, "think they'll find anything?"

"yeah." Her voice was stone and pain, in the same breath. "What we'd have found 10 years ago if it weren't for command."  
"Why did they stop you?"  
"Kennedy got 2 letters, reporting to be from his sister. Said she'd gone off with someone else. Command felt that was evidence she was still alive."

"And you?" Mark's question was so soft that she almost missed.

"I've contact everyone form National Missing Persons to the Red Cross for news of her. I even tried a psychic. If Helena Halliday is alive," she said, noticing the noise around the hole, "then she's vanished off the face of the earth."  
The door was pushed open by Steve.

"We've found her."


	8. Chapter 8 It's Offical

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which without giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

Chapter 8 It's official

"There's no doubt then? O.K. thanks Amanda." Steve hung up "its official. The body was that Helena Haliday. Dental records confirmed it."He looked at Katherine and Caroline, both of whom sat as those carved from marble.

"Cause of death?" Cheryl asked.

"A broken neck, consistent with strangulation."

"So definitely murder, no chance it was an accident."Steve shook his head.

"So," Cheryl said, with a worried glance at Katherine and Caroline "how do we play this?"

"Like it's any other murder!" Katherine said. Her voice shook slightly, but there was no missing the seriousness of her tone.

"That's how we played it ten years ago and that's how we'll play it now." She reached over and yanked a note book towards her. "Command thought she'd gone off with a man," she continued "so we have to ask who had motive, and who were the men in her life?"


	9. Chapter 9 The Men in her Life

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which without giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

Authors note: firstly an apology for not updating for so long, then posting 2 chapters at once. My only excuse is time. Lack of it, then abundance.

Secondly reviews really do encourage me to write, so please write lots of nice things. Also please do not be offended if I don't reply to your review. I do appreciate it; I'm just so busy with work and writing I tend to forget. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far, hope you continue to enjoy this. Thank you also to those of you who are about to review.

Chapter 9 "The Men in Her Life"

"John Halliday, like it or not, tops the list." Steve said, slightly uncomfortably.

Katherine nodded. "Got opportunity and motive. If he thought she was playing around that's bad enough, but attempting to poison him," her voice trailed off as wrote the name in her book.

"There's the Ex." Jesse said, "You said he was a suspect in the tennis court vandalism."

"He was rumoured to be obsessed with her, so that's' motive." Amanda, who had just joined the group, agreed. "What was he like?""Trouble!" Katherine replied. "One of those guys that you know are no good, but can't prove. He's made good apparently, but is suspected of labour violations. His name always reminded of a garden. What was it again? Rowan, that was it, Rowan Tee."

"Sounds familiar." Mark observed.

"You're kidding." Jesse spoke with enthusiasm. "Rowan Tee of ROWANS. It's only the hottest place to eat. This week." He added, remembering his own restaurants Barque Bob's brief encounter with fame.

Katherine smiled. "Back then he was a small time bus boy who she ended it with. Made some pretty nasty threats too. Erm if he couldn't have no one would, she'd be sorry. She didn't seem to take them too seriously, but her brother expressed the opinion that he was mentally subnormal. O.K. If you're a chef I guess." She added his name to the list.

"Wasn't there someone else?" Cheryl asked, "Someone she wanted to marry?"

"But couldn't." Katherine nodded. "Her mystery man. All I know is that she met him on the way to Arizona, and was in love with him, but couldn't marry him. She never talked that much about him, but I think, just the impression I got from her, was that he was married."

"That wasn't the guy I was thinking of." Cheryl said. "I thinking of the one she eloped with."Katherine nodded." Jarvis Spencer of Spencer and son. He's the defence lawyer in my current case, one of the better ones of that breed. Shouldn't be too difficult to talk to him."

"I confess," Cheryl observed "that I've never heard of her mystery man."

"You wouldn't have done. She never mentioned him."

"Then how do you know?"

"She left LA with all the intention of marrying Jarvis. She gets there and comes back-"how do you know," Amanda interrupted, "that she didn't just change her mind?"

"She married Halliday, less than 2 months later." Katherine replied before continuing. "I gain the impression he was married by her sympathy with women who were in love with married men. While the rest of us were being pretty rough on them, she'd say that they couldn't help it and so on." Katherine sighed and wandered over to the window. She stood there for a few minutes gazing out at the ocean.

"I'd like to add another name to list, even though I don't think he did It." she drew a deep breath before saying "Dr Robert Kennedy."

"Her brother?"

Katherine nodded. "I know she was never in love with Halliday, and I don't know why she agreed to marry him. All I know is that she wanted to escape, as she was desperately unhappy at home."


	10. Chapter 10 Dr Kennedy

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which with out giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

Chapter 10 Dr Kennedy

Dr Robert Kennedy resembled beef jerky. Dry and wrinkled. His voice held traces of his Nova Scotia ancestry.

"I'm afraid I don't understand this Miss Scarlet. If you are not with the police department what is your interest in the death of my sister?"

Caroline began slowly, "it's complicated…"

"She's Halidays daughter." Katherine interrupted.

"What Gwennie?" he gazed in amazement at the woman, shaking his head. "You're all grown up!"

"She's got questions about her father." Katherine continued calmly. "Questions I can't answer. About Helena. Figured if anyone knew it'd be you."

Kennedy shook his head. "Unfortunately during the time she was married to your father I had only limited contact with my sister. Indeed I could tell you more about…" Katherine's beeper chose that moment to go off.

"Excuse me. May I use your phone?" Kennedy nodded and Katherine vanished.

Kennedy continued. "Poor Kathy. I wished I'd been wrong, but I still can't believe that …" he trailed off and gazed uncertainly at Caroline.

"Katherine told me about my father's mental health." She said quietly

"They were just delusions. She ..." he trailed off as Katherine re-entered.

"Sorry I've got to go" she rested uncertain eyes on them.

"I can get a cab." Caroline said. Katherine nodded and left.

"Poor Kathy." Repeated Kennedy. "She blames herself for what happened." He turned his attention back to Caroline.

"Your father, how can I put this… he was a very driven man. When he was on a case he ate, drank and slept that case. The bard case," he shook his head. "What do you know about the case?"  
"Just what's in the papers?"

"It was, is a bad case. Intense pressure from the high ups for a quick solution a young team, some of whom it was their first homicide case. And a bloody awful killer!" he shook his head.

"There was little or no support for cops back then. You looked after each other. The experience supported the rookies, but there was no one supporting them. And my sister, not to speak ill of the dead, was … not the type to settle down with one man." He paused uncertain of how to proceed.

"Would you like some tea?"

The precinct

"I would have spoken sooner if I had heard." Jakob Hallen voice betrayed his Amish ancestry, even if the horse and buggy parked outside had not.

Katherine nodded. She had heard similar words from those who came forward after the first accusation _"I thought I was the only one. I didn't want any trouble. It was nothing." All said with the same mixture of shame and fear in their voices. _ She offered her usual phrases of reassurance and began taking his statement.

It was as expected difficult and emotional, as always. It was with this she added, as the statement was signed.

"You did nothing to be ashamed of."

"As the Minster told you." Rebecca, Jakob wife added. She had sat though the whole process in silence, her hand digging into his. "But he also said you must speak out."

"Who so ever would lead these little ones of mine to sin, woe to him. It would have been better had he jumped into the sea with a millstone around his neck." Jakob quoted.

"Tempting to get biblical in these cases." Katherine agreed. Collecting the paper work she checked that they had somewhere to stay and saw them out. She spoke briefly to the district attorney. As she hung up the phone, she paused and dialled Jarvis Spencer's number. She had two reasons to ask him to come in now.


	11. Chapter 11 Spencer

Disclaimer: The characters of Mark Sloan, Steve Sloan, Amanda Bentley, Jesse Travis and Cheryl Banks do not belong to me but to CBS, Viacom et al. All other individuals are my own creation and any resemblance to any living or dead persons is unintentional. The inspiration for this story was an Agatha Christie, but I can't say which with out giving the plot away, so I'll just stay they're all copyright to her estate.

Chapter 11 Spencer

Jarvis Spencer was a cold man. His dark hair was slicked back from his forehead and his eyes were an emotionless grey. They rested on the two detectives.

"I'm a little confused, detective." He said slowly. "I was under the impression that my visit here was linked to the appearance of another witness in my current case. Yet here I am in a homicide interview room."

"Steve Sloan" Steve said, "I'm heading the investigation into the death of Helena Kennedy. Detective Gere is present as a member of the original team that investigated her disappearance."An emotion, that might have been pleasure flashed across Spencer's face as he nodded. "I read of the discovery of her body in the papers. I was extremely moved."

"Where were you on the night she disappeared?" Katherine demanded leaning in.

"At home with my mother. She has since passed on, so there is no one to confirm my story." He shrugged. "I am aware this does not look good, but circumstances may prove a guilty when he is innocent." His eyes were fixed on Katherine and appeared to upset her in some way, as she muttered something about other cases requiring her attention and left.

"Oh, Detective." Spencer called as she left, "I look forward to see you and your new witness in court."

Ddddddd

"Everything alright?" Mark asked, uncertainly sinking into the clients' chair beside Katherine's desk in Rape. Katherine's face and the way everyone else appeared to be avoiding her gave him his answer, but he had to ask.

"Yeah! Fine! Why shouldn't I be?"

Mark did reply, but remained there as she shuffled papers. After a while she spoke again.

"Bastard!"

"Who the guy in the file?"

Katherine glanced at the files label apparently only just aware of its content.

"Him too."

"Jarvis Spencer." Mark said slowly.

Katherine sighed.

"I know a lawyers' principles." She said, then smiled as she realised her own joke, "just cabs. Take people where they want to go. No choice in clients."

"But...?"

"But there are limits!" she gushed angrily. "I know the law. Our case is all but rock solid and gaining strength every day. Even the guys in the public defender's office agree with us. They've all said if it was them they'd plea bargain. Instead..." her volume reduced.

"Instead he's forcing those poor kids to face a world that's still inclined to blame them, even when they've done nothing wrong" she shook her head. "Breaks my heart. We, the police, have moved on. Lawyer and most of public haven't." She shook her head again.

"Sorry to rant at you like this. Guess I've just got a lot on my plate." She pulled a file towards her and regarded it with more determination.

"Oh Doc." She added as Mark rose to leave. "Thanks. And tell Steve there's something he needs to find out."Mark's eyes widen with interest.

"Spencer said he read of the discovery of Helena's body in the papers. They never printed her name. Never even mentioned the sex. Just said a body had been found."


End file.
